Once you hear “Cajun” you know you’re in for a real treat! This Cajun Cabbage Bake infuses beef (and there is a lot of beef) with classic Cajun spices and the classic use of green pepper and garlic to round it out. It has rice to make sure it’s nice and hearty, some cabbage for a little touch of garden sweetness, and melted cheese because… well, you don’t need Cajun heritage to know why cheese is amazing. Cajun Cabbage Bake will take your tastebuds to the tastiest bayou around!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- white pepper, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- 4-6 drops hot pepper sauce, of your choice
- 1 small head cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup Colby cheese, shredded
- fresh basil leaves, optional, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, the green pepper, the onion, and the garlic, while crumbling the meat, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the excess fat from the skillet.
Step 3 –Stir in the tomatoes and chiles, the tomato sauce, the rice, the salt, the basil, the oregano, the white pepper, the black pepper, the cayenne pepper, and the hot sauce.
Step 4 –Spread the beef mixture into an ungreased 13×9-inch baking dish.
Step 5 –Top the beef mixture with the cabbage and the Colby cheese.
Step 6 –Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about 65-75 minutes.
Step 7 –Garnish with the basil and serve.
